Device indicating movements for software

ABSTRACT

A system for transforming the movements of at least one joint of a user into control signals for a computer. The system includes a sleeve for putting on over the joint and a movement sensor fixed to the sleeve for the sensor to be placed and held in the hollow of the joint. The sensor is an on/off sensor that is directly subject to the movements of the sleeve in the hollow of the joint.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to software control means constituting sensors forsensing the movement of a part of a user's body.

2. Description of the Related Art

Such control means conventionally include elements which reproduce acontrol or guide element (a joystick, a steering wheel, control pedals)and elements which are fixed to the body of a user (e.g. the arms or thehands) and that are designed to sense movements while impeding them aslittle as possible.

Thus, document U.S. Pat. No. 5,229,756 proposes a boxing fight simulatorin which the user is fitted with elbow-bend sensors each fixed on asleeve to measure the bend angle of an elbow and deliver an analogsignal representative of said angle, which analog signal is subsequentlyconverted into a digital signal for storing and processing.

That type of apparatus suffers from a major drawback.

The signal delivered by the sensor must be processed by a converter andby a computer, both requiring large computation and memory capacity.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In practice, that type of apparatus is used only with hardware andsoftware specially designed for such an application because of the highrequirements inherent to such sensors.

The main object of the invention is to propose apparatus which issuitable for transforming the position or displacement of a user's limbinto a control signal which is significantly representative of saidposition or displacement, while requiring little by way of computationand memory capacity.

A second object of the invention is to propose such apparatus usingmovement sensors that are compact and not expensive to make.

According to the invention, these objects are achieved by a system fortransforming the movements of at least one joint of a user selected fromthe group constituted by the knee, the elbow, the shoulder, the hip, orthe ankle, into control signals for a computer, the system comprising asleeve for putting on over the joint and a movement sensor fixed to thesleeve, the apparatus being characterized in that the sensor is anon/off sensor and is directly subject to the movements of the walls ofthe sleeve.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present apparatus makes it possible to use body movement sensorswith home type games consoles or with a personal computer, e.g. runningexisting video games.

Other objects, characteristics, and advantages of the invention willappear on reading the following detailed description given withreference to the accompanying figures, in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagram of apparatus of the invention without the user;

FIG. 2 shows the same apparatus, in place on a user;

FIG. 3 shows a games handset;

FIG. 4 shows such a games handset coupled to an elbow-movement sensor ofthe invention;

FIG. 5 shows a switch movement sensor in another variant of theinvention;

FIG. 6 shows an elbow-movement sensor operating on air pressure,constituting another variant of the invention;

FIG. 7 shows apparatus of the invention in a detailed front view;

FIG. 8 is a block diagram representing the operation of a centralprocessor module for the FIG. 7 apparatus;

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the operation of a two-part unit constitutedby a movement sensor and a control handset for the apparatus of FIGS. 7and 8; and

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the operation of a knee movement sensor ofthe apparatus of FIGS. 7 and 8.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Further scope of applicability of the present invention will becomeapparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, itshould be understood that the detailed description and specificexamples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, aregiven by way of illustration only, since various changes andmodifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will becomeapparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.

The apparatus of FIG. 1 is of star architecture, having a centerconstituted by a preprocessor module 10 and four branches, constitutedby wire connections carrying movement sensors 20 d, 20 g, 40 d, and 40g.

In this case, the movement sensors are responsive to knee bending 40 g,40 d and to elbow bending 20 g, 20 d.

The two branches, each including an elbow-bending sensor 20 d and 20 g,are extended beyond the sensor to a controlling handset 30 d, 30 gprovided with a pad of pushbuttons 35 g, 35 d.

As can be seen in FIG. 2, when a user wears the module 10 on theabdomen, the wire connections run along the user's arms and thighs tothe sensors, with the connections between the elbow sensors 20 g, 20 dand the handsets 30 g, 30 d extending substantially along the forearms,so as to interfere as little as possible with the movements of the user.

When the bending sensors 20 g, 20 d, 40 g, 40 d or the pushbuttons 35 g,35 d are activated, corresponding signals are passed from these elementsto the module 10. The module 10 then processes these signals, afterwhich it sends the processed signals over an outlet connection 15 to acomputer (not shown) and it sends them in a format that is acceptablefor the computer.

Each bending sensor is mounted on a flexible sleeve 21 d, 21 g, 41 d, 41g put on around the joint in question. The sleeve is constituted merelyby a strip of cloth.

In FIG. 4, it can be seen that the sleeve 21 d extends both ways fromthe elbow around the upper arm and the forearm (and for the knee, thesleeve extends around the thigh and the calf).

The sleeve has portions on the inside of the joint. In particular, oneither side of the elbow, it has two inner surfaces which move towardseach other or away from each other depending on whether the user bendsor straightens the arm.

Advantage is taken of this property by placing a movement sensor on atleast one of said two surfaces.

In FIG. 4, two component parts of a Hall effect magnetic sensor areplaced on these two surfaces, namely a small magnet 22 on the insideface of the forearm and a receiver part 23 responsive to said magnet onthe inside face of the biceps.

The receiver part 23 includes three wires defining two electricalcircuits, a first circuit which is open or closed depending on whetherthe magnet 22 is respectively close to or far away from the part 23, anda second circuit which on the contrary is closed or open depending onwhether the magnet 22 is close or far away.

In the present embodiment, a connection 25 d having two wires connectsthe terminals of one of these two circuits to the module 10.

Depending on whether the elbow is bent or not, an electric signal flowsor does not flow in the circuit and the connection 25 d.

In a variant, the connection 25 d has two additional wires connected tothe other circuit so as to provide, in addition, complementaryinformation.

The present magnetic movement sensor thus delivers a positive or zerosignal depending on whether the joint is bent or straight.

It is thus the position of the joint at a given instant which determinesthe value of the signal, regardless of whether the joint is stationaryor moving at that instant.

In a variant, a movement sensor is used which delivers an on or offsignal as a function of the direction in which the joint is moving andnot as a function of its actual position.

While the joint is being bent, the sensor takes up a first state, andwhile the joint is being straightened, the sensor takes up a secondstate, independently of the degree to which the joint is extended.

Using on/off information supplied by a movement sensor, it is possibleto detect bending movement or straightening movement (e.g. a punch or akick in a combat game) or indeed the extended or bent position (e.g.corresponding to the attitude of a virtual actor, pressures on thepushbutton 35 d and 35 g triggering displacements or jumps of theactor).

In a variant, the movement sensor shown in FIG. 5 comprises, on theinside surfaces of the joint, on one side a mechanically controlledswitch 123, in this case having a lever, and on the other side a pieceof foam 122 projecting from the forearm, the switch 123 being actuatedby coming into abutment against said piece of foam 122.

In this case, the switch is controlled mechanically by a lever (alever-operated microswitch), but it could equally well be controlled bya wheel or by a fork.

In a variant of the sensor shown in FIG. 6, a bag of air 220 d is placedin the hollow of the elbow, and the pressure therein increases when itis compressed.

A switch 230 is fixed to the sleeve 21 d close to the bag 220 d, and hasa control finger 235 that projects into the bag 220 d and that is driventherein like a piston under the effect of the increased pressure.

The bag 220 d advantageously has openings 225 allowing air to beexpelled from the bag so as to avoid impeding bending movements, theseopenings being small enough to maintain sufficient extra pressure whilethe air is being expelled.

The detector is thus responsive to a sudden increase in pressure, i.e.an elbow-bending stage.

The switch 230 can be replaced by a conventional air pressure sensor andthe bag can also be made to be hermetically sealed or inflated.

Other on/off sensors can be used for taking advantage of movements ofthe joint, for example pressure sensors, longitudinal displacementsensors, or radial displacement sensors. The motion sensors can bepassive, i.e. they can require external power feeding to them in orderto indicate an open or closed position of the joint (or the presence ofjoint movement in a given direction), or they can be active, i.e. notrequiring their own power supply.

The pushbuttons 35 d, 35 g in the handsets 30 g, 30 d are situated atthe tops of the handset so as to be suitable for being actuated by thethumbs as on the control joysticks commonly used for games consoles.

In this case, wire connections are used as shown in FIG. 4, combiningthe wires 26 d coming from the handset 30 d and the wires coming fromthe elbow sensor 20 d, this set of wires going from the forearm to themodule 10 in the form of a connection 27 d.

FIGS. 7, 8, and 9 show a preferred layout for the various electricalconnections between the module 10 and the sensors and handset in theabove case where the sensors 20 g, 20 d, 40 g, and 40 d are all formedby respective switches 28 g, 28 d, 48 g, 48 d.

Each handset 30 g and 30 d in this case comprises four pushbuttons eachcorresponding to a respective switch 31 g, 32 g, 33 g, 34 g.

A series connection 50 g interconnects the module 10, the elbow sensor20 g, and the handset 30 g (60 g for the knee). By means of thisconnection, the module 10 delivers a non-zero potential to the sensor 20g, and to the handset 30 g. This potential is delivered to one of theterminals of the elbow switch 20 g and to one of the terminals of eachof the switches in the handset 30 g.

Each opposite terminal of each of these five switches is connected via arespective connection 51 g, 52 g, 53 g, 54 g, or 55 g to the module 10,and the module detects whether or not that connection is returning thepotential.

In an ideal arrangement, the four return connections from the handset 30g and the corresponding power supply connection 50 g are combined in asingle insulating sheath 26 g which extends from the handset 30 g to thevicinity of the sensor 20 g as two branches, one of which is connectedto the sensor 20 including a go line and a return line of the connection50 g, and the other of which combines the power and return connectionsboth for the handset 30 g and for the sensor 20 g.

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the module 10 has two buttons E1 and E2 forstarting a video game, for moving in the menu of the game, and forresetting the software.

The module 10 makes use of the on/off information coming from thevarious sensors and pushbuttons, and calibrates it in a format suitablefor the computer located at the other end of the connection 15.

The module 10 itself includes a computer for performing digitalpre-processing on the signals that come from the sensors, and fortransforming them into data suitable for use by the external computer.

In the present case, the external computer is a games console, and thedata output from the module 10 is applied to the inputs of the consolenormally connected to the joysticks, i.e. a set of contacts themselvesdesigned to receive on/off signals.

For this purpose, such apparatus delivers a signal having the sameformat as the signals obtained from traditional joystick or pushbuttoncontrols.

The processing performed in this case by the module is particularlysimple, and consists merely in transforming a zero or non-zero signalinto digital logic levels of predetermined form similar to the logiclevels obtained at the outputs from conventional joysticks.

In a variant, the module 10 includes a computer programmed to transformthe on/off signals provided by the sensors into information that isspecially encoded for a given external computer, and to perform suchtreatment in various ways that can be selected as a function of theexternal computer to which the apparatus is connected.

In the present preferred embodiment, the remote computer unit (notshown) generates signals which are sent to the module 10 that responds,after suitable processing, by applying them to mechanical playbackmembers, e.g. pneumatic members fitted to the body, so that the controlsignals sent to the module 10 are transformed into physical signalsapplied to the body of the user (a type of biofeedback).

Thus, in the present case, the module 10 and the handsets 30 g and 30 dare fitted with out-of-balance weights rotated by electric motors tovibrate in order to represent explosions or shooting with certainweapons. Other types of playback (virtual reality helmet, earphones,effect-return harnesses, vibrating seats or boxes, etc.) can also beadopted.

Naturally, numerous variants can be provided by the person skilled inthe art in the ambit of the present invention.

For example, the connections between the sensors 20 g, 20 d, 40 g, 40 dand the module 10 can be wireless connections.

The module 10 can be placed on the user at some other location, forexample on the hip, or indeed can be placed beside the user. Similarly,the connection between the system of the invention and the externalcomputer unit can be by means of a wireless connection.

The movement sensors can be placed on joints other than the elbows orthe knees, for example on the shoulder for a sensor that picks up theposition of an entire arm or on the hip for a sensor that picks up theposition of an entire leg.

In a variant, the system of the invention has additional sensors forpicking up the movements of the user's feet, for example, on the anklejoint in order to pick up the stretching action of a kick. In combatvideo games, the action of stretching out a kick can give rise, forexample, to the virtual actor jumping.

Advantageously, the system of the invention has additional sensors inthe form of a floor mat comprising foam that includes contacts, makingit possible to pick up movements of the user's feet (e.g. the action ofmoving a foot forward), and convert these movements into virtualmovements. In combat video games, the action of moving a foot in frontof the body can give rise, for example, to the virtual actor movingforwards.

The external digital processor unit need not be a computer or a console,for example it could be a complete video games machine of the kind to beseen in video gaming arcades, it could be an interactive terminal, etc.,with users bringing their own systems of the invention and connectingthem directly to the external processor units.

The present apparatus of the invention can then be used equally well atthe user's home, in a video gaming arcade, in a bar, at an airport, at acasino, or in any other location, since the system of the invention iseasy to transport, and requires no more than an external processor unitcapable of receiving and using the signals issued by the system of theinvention, which signals are of the same type as the signals issued bythe usual controls or joysticks for such an external processor unit.

The types of software for which the present system of the invention issuitable include a very wide range of options, and depending on theneeds of the moment, the user can select from this wide range the optionthat specifically satisfies the user's requests.

Thus, although the following list is not exhaustive, the system of theinvention can be used with software for combat games, software forsimulating sports in general (basketball, football, golf, skiing, etc.),software for learning movements (gymnastics, swimming, aerobics, boxing,racing, and indeed training in the use of a set of drums, etc.), videoconference software, and more generally remote presence software,including over the Internet (animating an avatar), etc. . . . .

The system of the invention advantageously includes adaptors enablingthe various connection means between the module 10 and the externalprocessor unit to be adapted for making connections with various kindsof microcomputer, consoles, and integrated video games machines of thetype to be found in games parlors.

The input/output means connecting the module 10 to the externalprocessor are adapted as a function of the type of digital processor onwhich the software is run, with the types of connection beingconstituted, for example, by connections of the “joystick” type or ofthe pushbutton (“pad”) type, or of some other type.

The module 10 also has means for adjusting the sensitivity of thesignals delivered by the movement sensors, and for giving particularfunctions to such and such a sensor.

Such apparatus can be used with existing software since the signalsoutput by the apparatus are, in a preferred embodiment, identical to thesignals output by the joysticks that are commonly in use, and thesignals input to the system of the invention can be processed in amanner analogous to the manner in which they are presently processed bycertain joysticks and sensation simulators.

It should be observed that in the example described, all of the standardfunctions of common joysticks are to be found in the system of theinvention.

The system can also be used with software that can be written in thefuture, secure in the knowledge that widespread use will be possible(because of its compatibility with existing joysticks), whilenevertheless providing new modes of use by means of the apparatus of theinvention, or indeed with software written specially for the system ofthe invention (e.g. software for home gymnastics, where the user'smovements are picked up, quantized, and assessed by the software, orindeed software enabling users to meet virtually).

The system is compact and easy to transport.

The invention being thus described, it will be apparent that the samemay be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as adeparture from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all suchmodifications as would be recognized by one skilled in the art areintended to be included within the scope of the following claims.

1. A combination comprising a standard video game equipment capable ofdisplaying varying representations of a human body; and an apparatus fortransforming movements of a user into control signals, said apparatuscomprising: a pair of two-state elbow sensors adapted to be positionedin respective elbow regions of the user to deliver two different signalsdepending on a respective elbow bend; a pair of two-state knee sensorsadapted to be positioned in respective knee regions of the user and todeliver two different signals depending on a respective knee bend; aprocessing unit for receiving signals from said elbow and knee sensorsand for converting said signals into two-state signals of standardformat for generation of game action on said standard video gameequipment; and a standard connection arrangement between said apparatusand said standard game equipment; said apparatus being removablyconnected to the video game equipment and used as a substitute for aconventional gamepad or joystick to obtain improved playability.
 2. Thecombination according to claim 1, wherein said apparatus furthercomprises a pair of handsets connected to said processing unit, eachhandset having at least one pushbutton, said processing unit applyingsignals representative of actions performed on said pushbuttons to saidstandard game equipment.
 3. The combination according to claim 2,wherein the handset and the elbow sensor adapted to be positioned on thesame arm of the user are interconnected by a wire.
 4. The combinationaccording to claim 1, wherein said two-state elbow and knee sensors andsaid processing unit are interconnected by wireless connection.
 5. Thecombination according to claim 1, wherein said two-state elbow and kneesensors are mechanically-controlled switches.
 6. The combinationaccording to claim 1, wherein said two-state elbow and knee sensors arepositioned in the respective elbow and knee regions by means of sleeves.7. A video game system including a processor running a game programcapable of displaying varying representations of a human body, saidsystem comprising: a game central processor having an output for adisplay device and inputs for receiving two-state control signals fromconventional gamepads or joysticks; and at least one apparatus fortransforming movements of a user into said control signals, said atleast one apparatus including, a pair of two-state elbow sensors adaptedto be positioned in respective elbow regions of the user to deliver twodifferent signals depending on a respective elbow bend; a pair oftwo-state knee sensors adapted to be positioned in respective kneeregions of the user and to deliver two different signals depending on arespective knee bend; and a processing unit connected to said sensorsfor converting signals received from said sensors into said two-statecontrol signals; and a connection between said at least one apparatusand said inputs; said apparatus being removably connected to said gamecentral processor and used as a substitute for a conventional gamepad orjoystick to obtain improved playability.
 8. The system according toclaim 7, wherein said game program is a combat game program.
 9. Thesystem according to claim 7, wherein said apparatus further comprises apair of handsets connected to said processing unit, each handset havingat least one pushbutton, said processing unit applying signalsrepresentative of actions performed on said pushbuttons to said gamecentral processor.
 10. The system according to claim 9, wherein thehandset and the elbow sensor adapted to be positioned on the same arm ofthe user are interconnected by a wire.
 11. The system according to claim7, wherein said two-state elbow and knee sensors and said processingunit are interconnected by wireless connection.
 12. The system accordingto claim 7, wherein said two-state elbow and knee sensors aremechanically-controlled switches.
 13. The system according to claim 7,wherein said two-state elbow and knee sensors are positioned in therespective elbow and knee regions by means of sleeves.
 14. A method forcontrolling a video game program run by a standard game equipment, saidgame program being capable of displaying varying representations of ahuman body and said game equipment being capable of receiving two-statesignals on game control inputs, from an apparatus being removablyconnected to the game equipment and used as a substitute for aconventional gamepad or joystick to obtain improved playability themethod comprising the steps of: positioning a pair of two-state elbowsensors of said apparatus in respective elbow regions of the user, eachof said elbow sensors delivering one of two different signals dependingon a respective elbow bend; positioning a pair of two-state knee sensorsof said apparatus in respective knee regions of the user, each of saidknee sensors delivering one of two different signals depending on arespective knee bend; connecting said two-state elbow and knee sensorsto a processing unit of said apparatus; selectively moving the elbowand/or knee joints, converting said signals received from said sensorsinto two-state control signals by said processing unit, and applyingsaid two-state control signals to the game equipment; and displaying,with said standard game equipment, representations of the human bodycorresponding to user movement according to said two-state controlsignals.
 15. The method according to claim 14, wherein said video gameprogram is a combat game program.